Overview

• The citywide order in force since August 14 forbids recreational stays in more than ankle-deep Rhine water along Düsseldorf’s banks.
• OSD and police report 130 to 250 preventive conversations in the first week, with officials noting fewer people entering the river.
• Three individuals are set to receive penalties, with fines starting at €150 and reaching up to €1,000 for violations.
• A 41-year-old retrieved from the Rhine after reentering the water could face the full fine, as fire services review charging him for a multi-agency response involving local police, water police with a helicopter, and fire brigades from Dormagen and Düsseldorf.
• City authorities will continue joint patrols; nearby Neuss and Meerbusch have enacted similar bans, while DLRG and police have launched warning campaigns and a Google Maps rename from “Paradiesstrand” to “Rheinstrand” to discourage bathing.